Emmanuel
by galsbeingpals
Summary: Swan Queen. Based on a lengthy prompt - Emma cross dresses as a man for a job, and is still in her male "persona" when Henry appears at her apartment. Unable to reveal herself, she takes him back to Storybrooke as Emma's twin brother, Emmanuel, a dashing young man whose spark, gallantry and kindness wows the secretly lonely mayor. Rated M for future reference.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: As well as all the character stuff, I am aware that this could be a sensitive topic. This story is written with the purest of intentions, but if any of the content of this story upsets you in any way, please do not hesitate to message me.

Dedicated to, and based on a lengthy prompt from, swanfckngqueen on twitter.

Another note: Emmanuel means "God is with us". If God is considered our saviour… I'm beginning to think there was a whole lot of depth to E's name in OUAT!

EMMANUEL

Emma gritted her teeth as she stared down her reflection in her bathroom mirror, gripping her kitchen scissors so tightly her knuckles were white. This was ridiculous. It was only hair. It would grow back! And she needed the paycheck. Badly. She took a deep breath and loosened her grip on the scissors. She'd always wanted to try this, anyway. And she wouldn't have to spend hours drying and grooming it. With a newfound resolve (mostly from thinking about the money) she grabbed a chunk of hair and snipped viciously.

Half an hour later, she sported a scruffy pixie cut and a bemused expression. She actually kind of liked it. And her head felt so light, like she was floating… She grinned, then moved on to step two of the transformation. It was amazing how much detailed instruction she'd found online, but after her third attempt at trying to tape her breasts flat, Emma had a great deal more respect for the crossdressing community. Finally, she succeeded in morphing her figure into something that, with clothes over it, could pass as male. She put on the clothes she'd purchased and turned to her full length mirror to examine the full effect.

She gasped. She was a guy. A CUTE guy. She practised walking around, posing for the mirror, deepening her voice and experimenting with a few choice phrases. She grinned, but rolled her eyes as she considered the fact that her profession really was a boy's club - she was proving the point today. She sighed. Whatever. She was in it for the money, not the politics. She checked her watch, and after looking herself over one more time, swaggered out of her apartment.

* * *

It was after midnight when Emma finally collapsed on her couch, her feet aching from chasing down her perp in unfamiliar shoes. But it was worth it. She'd caught her. Damn straight women, falling so easily for men. She grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and had just popped the cap off when there was a knock on the door. What? She groaned, going over to yank it open, swigging her beer as she did so.

"Mo- Wait, who are you?"

The child in front of her narrowed his eyes before barging past her into the apartment.

"Where's my mom?"

"Who's your mom?" Emma sighed. Kids. "And who are you?"

"I'm Henry. And I thought she lived here."

Emma stared at him. He couldn't be…

"What's your name?" he asked, helping himself to the orange juice carton from the fridge.

"Em-Emmanuel," Emma stuttered. Henry's eyes widened.

"Do you know Emma Swan?"

Emma nodded before she could help herself. Shit. "She's… She's my twin sister," she explained.

"So she does live here! Where is she?"

"No, she doesn't live here. She's… She's out of town," Emma finished lamely.

Henry's face fell. "But…" Then he frowned. "My book doesn't say anything about a twin brother."

Emma frowned back. "What book?"

Henry produced a huge, brown volume from his bag.

"That's a book of fairytales," Emma said slowly.

"I know," Henry told her.

"Why are you looking for Emma?" Emma asked.

"She's my mom," Henry explained. Emma groaned inwardly. It was him. It was HIM.

"But it was a closed adoption."

"I used an online service. But you know about me! Did she say anything else about me? Do you know who my father is?"

"Hey, hey, slow down, kid. Where are your real parents, I mean, the ones that you live with?"

"I just have a mom. She's evil. And she's in Storybrooke, Maine."

"Does she know you're here?"

Henry raised his eyebrows. "What do you think?"

Emma sighed. He really did take after her. "I'm taking you home," she told him firmly. "What's your mom's phone number?"

"I don't remember," Henry lied.

"Bullsh- I mean, that's not true," she said, trying to remember to keep her voice low. She took out her phone and checked the journey. "It's a three hour drive. We'd better get going," she told him. Reluctantly, Henry picked up his backpack and followed his new uncle outside.

Emma looked at her son. He was the perfect mix of her and his father. He was beautiful. And defiant, and smart, and really brave… She thought about him more than she'd like to admit, wondering if he was happy, wondering what his life was like. From the looks of things, it wasn't anything like as good as she'd hoped.

"So, why did you come find me, I mean, come looking for Emma?" she asked. Henry shrugged.

"I thought Emma would be able to help. She was supposed to be here."

Emma wished she could tell him who she was, but it was too late. He'd freak out, he'd run… "I'm sorry, kid," she told him. "But what do you need help with?"

"It's my mom. My other mom. She's… She's the evil queen," he said, utterly convinced.

"She's the what now?"

"The Evil Queen. Like in the fairytale."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Why do you say that?" she asked, going along with the boy for now.

"Because she's evil. She's the mayor, which is like a queen. And she… She hates everybody. She's so mean…"

Emma studied the boy out of the corner of her eye. He seemed healthy. His clothes were nice. He didn't look like a kid with an evil mother. He seemed well looked after.

"Is she… Did she hurt you?"

Henry looked horrified. "No! Of course not. But…" he trailed off, seeing the relief on his uncle's face.

They sat in silence for a while, both watching the dark road that stretched out in front of them.

"Emmanuel?" Henry piped up.

"Em, call me Em," Emma said.

"Okay, Em… Well… Nevermind," Henry said. He'd been thinking. If Emmanuel was Emma's twin, Emmanuel was also the product of true love, could also be the saviour, and could also break the curse. He was very disappointed not to have found his mother, but if he befriended his uncle, he'd be able to see her soon, and there was still hope for Storybrooke, too.

Emma drove on, feeling more and more stupid for the hole she was digging herself. She should come clean before she had to lie to anyone else. But Henry would hate her. Right now he thought she was awesome. He also thought she was a guy, but…

The journey seemed incredibly short to Henry. Before he knew it, they were pulling into the town. It was morning now.

"Where's your house?" Emma asked. Henry gave the address, realising that lying would be pointless. Emma followed his directions and pulled up outside a huge white mansion. She turned off the engine and looked down at her shirt and pants, feeling ridiculous. She told herself it didn't matter, she was leaving. But she had to be a convincing man for Henry's mother. She couldn't do anything suspicious.

She led the kid to the door and knocked. It was opened almost immediately-

By the most stunning woman Emma had ever seen. And probably the most angry woman, too. The woman, on seeing her son, let out a sigh expressing a great deal of emotion, before schooling her features and glaring at Emma.

"Who are you?" she demanded.

"He's my family. My real family!" Henry shouted. His mother frowned.

"Go upstairs, Henry. I'll deal with you in a minute."

"I'm Regina Mills," Regina said. "Thank you for bringing him home. Now, what does he mean?"

"I'm Em, I'm his biological uncle," Emma explained, hating that she was still lying. The fact that the lie was to someone so beautiful somehow made it worse.

"Em?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Emmanuel. Emmanuel Swan. I'm his birth mother's twin brother. He showed up at my place looking for her, but she's out of town. Out of the country, in fact," she amended.

"I see," Regina said slowly, though she still had a million questions. She looked the man up and down. He wasn't heavily built, but there was something strong in the way he held himself, and his rolled up sleeves showed well toned arms. He had scruffy hair and complicated eyes. He was gorgeous. Regina let out a shuddering breath and forced herself to concentrate. She did not need to be dealing with this man. She had enough on her plate without adding him to the mess.

"Henry is going through a difficult time," Regina explained, "But I assure you, I am a good mother."

Emma noticed that Regina seemed to be telling herself that, too. She nodded.

"I'm sure you are. I'm sorry about all this. But don't be too hard on him. He's a sweet kid."

Regina thought of several snide comments, but in the end she just murmured in agreement.

"Will you be leaving?" she asked. Emma thought about it. Henry's face as he stormed upstairs… She couldn't just leave, despite Regina's clear wish to see her go.

"I… I might stick around for a few days, actually. I'm owed a vacation," she chuckled. Regina narrowed her eyes.

"And you're choosing to take it in Storybrooke, of all places?"

"Henry… You said he's having a rough time. My sister told me about him. She'd never forgive me if I didn't bring back a few stories, get to know him a little."

"Fine," Regina said shortly. "You can stay."

"I know…" Emma said slowly. Regina huffed, but seemed to change her mind and soften a little.

"Very well. If you insist on spending time with my son, I should get to know you, first. Meet me at Granny's, at 8 tonight. It's the Bed and Breakfast on Main Street. I suppose you can stay there, too."

Emma had spotted the place when she drove past. She nodded.

"I'll be there. I… Thank you," she said stiffly. She didn't know how much this woman really deserved her thanks.

Regina nodded at the man and stepped inside her house, closing the door and resolutely ignoring the flutter she felt in her abdomen.

* * *

Granny's Diner was a bizarre place. The decor looked as if someone had put together everything they imagined an American diner should be, and then combined it with a homely, cottagey feel. Emma liked it, though. It was welcoming, somehow. And the old woman and gorgeous granddaughter who ran the place were very sweet. She arranged for a room for the next week, then went into town to find a clothes shop. She caught herself just in time, and went into the men's section. She had been heading for the women's.

Missing her skinny jeans tremendously, she bought herself several outfits, as well as a pair of boots (the dress shoes were awful), underwear, and some sweatpants to wear in bed. She went into the drugstore next, and bought a great deal of bandages, ignoring the strange look the clerk gave her. Then she went back to her room, closed the curtains, and ripped off her shirt, carefully but quickly unwinding the bindings from her chest. She sighed gratefully as her breasts were finally free. For once, she was glad that they weren't bigger. She kicked off her shoes and stripped down to her underwear (boxers she could get used to) and flopped onto the bed.

She slept until her growling stomach forced her awake. She used her ensuite and tried out the new bandages. They worked fine, she was getting the knack for it already. She washed the old ones in the sink and hung them up to dry, then dressed herself in a gray t-shirt, jeans, and her new boots. She went down to the diner, evaluating the people inside. They all seemed pretty harmless. She grinned at Red, the granddaughter, who almost blushed. Emma raised her eyebrows before remembering she was a guy. So weird. So, so weird.

She asked Red what was good to eat, allowing her eyes to wander, admiring Red's attractive and scantily clad figure. Red led her to a booth and suggested a cheeseburger. Emma also asked for a coffee; Red went to fetch it and lingered by the table when she brought it back.

"Em, right?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. Emma smiled.

"That's right."

"And you're Henry's uncle?"

Boy, word travelled fast in this town. "Yeah."

"He's a good kid. And the mayor… She's alright, really."

Emma nodded. "She seemed… She seemed alright," she said. Red laughed excessively.

"How do you like Storybrooke so far?" she asked.

"It's nice. Quaint. I'm a city g-guy, so it's kind of a new experience for me. Everyone's very friendly, though."

Red was about to respond when her grandmother called her over. With an exaggerated groan, she left Emma to her coffee. Emma reached over to the table beside her to pick up a discarded newspaper, and fascinated herself with stories of town meetings and missing dogs. Did anything ever happen here?

The old woman, who everyone seemed to call Granny, brought over her cheeseburger.

"Don't mind Red," Granny said. "Small town. Limited supplies of young men. She's a good girl, really."

Emma smiled good naturedly. "She seems great," she said, already digging into her food. Granny disappeared back to work and Emma ate enthusiastically. After her mid-afternoon meal, she left the diner. She'd realised she needed toiletries of every kind. She made her way around the grocery store, surreptitiously opening bottles and sniffing them until she found something she liked. Then she thought of something else. She dropped a box of tampons into her basket, remembering a "real men buy tampons" thing she'd seen online. She hoped that was the case.

After finishing her shopping, she explored the town a little further. She still had a while before she was supposed to meet Regina. It was getting kind of chilly. On impulse, she pushed open the door to a kind of antique store, a black leather jacket on the rack of vintage clothes catching her eye. She shrugged it on. It was perfect. She took it to the counter.

"Ah, Mr Swan. I was hoping to meet you."

"Right. Mr…"

"Gold," he told her. "How do you like my shop?"

"It's…" Emma looked around, "great."

Gold smiled. "I'm glad you think so."

"How much for this?" Emma asked.

"For you, _Mister_ Swan, nothing."

Emma ignored the way he emphasised "mister", brushing it off as her nervous imagination. "No. Everything has a price."

"Very wise, young man. But in this case, I will make an exception. I insist," he said firmly. Emma didn't see the point in arguing, so she put on her new jacket and left the store.

By the time she'd unpacked all her purchases and tidied her room (hiding the tampons under the bed just in case) it was time to meet Regina. Reminding herself over and over that she was a guy, Emma went down to the diner and sat at the bar. Her "date" had yet to arrive, so she ordered a beer and made small talk with Ruby, who was working the bar.

Regina found herself seething with jealousy when she saw Ruby practically shoving her breasts in Em's face. She marched into the diner anyway, telling herself this was just business. She would not get attached, she would not get involved. If Em wanted to sleep with Ruby, that was his mistake to make.

"Mr Swan," she said by way of greeting. Em turned to her.

"Mayor Mills," he said, raising his beer. "What would you like to drink?"

"I will buy my own drink," Regina told him, ordering an appletini.

"Fancy," Em chuckled.

"And delicious," Regina informed him.

"I'll take your word for it," Em chuckled, swigging his beer.

Regina knew she should get down to the questions she had prepared, but for some reason she was reluctant to do so.

"How was your day?" she asked instead.

"It was good, thanks. I did some shopping. I met Mr Gold."

"That must have been a pleasure," Regina said dryly. Em chuckled again. Regina loved the way his laughter bubbled from his throat. She bit her lip and smoothed down her dress - a dress which she had changed into just to meet Em.

"He's a piece of work. But then again, so are you, apparently."

Regina frowned.

"Hey," Em said hurriedly. "I meant it as a compliment."

The brunette let the corners of her mouth twitch. "Oh, did you now?" she asked. "I'm sorry to tell you, but flattery will get you nowhere."

"Who said I wanted to get anywhere?"

Regina looked him up and down, a pointed expression on her face. He laughed, giving her the same treatment.

"Maybe you're the one who wants to get somewhere," he suggested. Regina felt a slight blush rise to her cheeks and touched them with fascination. She hadn't felt like this since… She gave herself a shake. The last thing she needed right now was to be thinking about him.

"I…" she said weakly.

Emma was fascinated. This woman, her body, her figure, her confidence… And her eyes, deep and dark, trying to hide so much emotion. There was something sad about her… She must have one hell of a story, Emma thought to herself. She was so compelling… Emma was almost hypnotised.

"How was your day?" Emma asked. Regina was grateful for the simple question.

"It was quite dull. Mostly paperwork."

"And how's Henry?"

Emma loved the way Regina's eyes lit up when she talked about her son, though the sadness did not leave them entirely. "He's… Very angry with me. Even though it was you who brought him back."

Regina watched as a plethora of emotions crossed Em's face. She admired the depth of the man, especially when he was confronted by a child who should never have been a part of his life.

Their conversation drifted in different directions; Emma learned more about Storybrooke; Regina learned what Em did for a living, that he was single, and that he didn't like to settle. There was a slight flirtation throughout the evening which neither woman could ignore. They both found it rather unsettling, but Emma couldn't help herself from offering to walk Regina home, and Regina was unable to refuse the gallant young man. It had been so long since anyone had shown any interest in her, let alone any willingness to take care of her.

They walked through the darkened streets in an amicable silence. A block from her house, Regina finally plucked up the courage to suggest the idea she'd had about two hours ago.

"Would you… Would you like to have dinner with Henry and me tomorrow?"

Emma was on the verge of saying yes when she realised the scale of the lie she had already entered into. She had just had drinks, very friendly drinks, with an innocent woman who also happened to be the mother of her biological son, and she was playing her, playing her to an insane level. This couldn't go on. She had to leave, she couldn't do this… Regina was a good person. She was a good mother, she loved their son, and she would do what was best for him. Emma had been right to give him up, he would be fine…

"I… I would, but I think… I think I should leave," she said. Regina tried desperately not to show how crushed she was.

"Of course," she said shortly. "You need to get back to your life."

"I'm sorry," Emma said weakly. "Will you tell Henry?"

Regina nodded. "I will."

"He… He's lucky to have you," Emma said.

They had reached Regina's house. She marched herself to the door, furious that a few minutes ago she had been considering the possibility of a goodnight kiss.

"Goodbye, Mr Swan. Thank you for returning my son to me."

"Anytime."

The door slammed shut. Emma stared at it. She had done the right thing. She had done the only thing…

She went back to the diner, throwing all her belongings into a bag. She left some money on the bed and hurried to her car, starting the engine and setting off before she could change her mind. She pushed all thoughts of the hopeful little boy from her brain. She was lying, lying to him, lying to his mother… She had to go. She accelerated, already well on the way out of town.

To her horror, Emma felt tears slide down her cheeks as she reached the sign declaring that she was leaving Storybrooke - and then she saw the wolf. She swerved violently, crying out as her car veered off the road and slammed into the very sign she had just teared up at reading. Her head slammed onto the steering wheel and everything went black.

* * *

Emma woke up to a tapping on her window.

"I think you should come with me," the Sheriff told her. He held up a pair of handcuffs. Emma felt a chill in her stomach as the metal snapped around her wrists, bringing back many unpleasant memories. The Sheriff, whose name was Graham, guided her into the back of his cruiser and drove her to the precinct. Emma raised her eyebrows at the weird layout, then struggled slightly as Graham escorted her into a cell.

"Settle down, Swan," he told her. Then he leaned in conspiratorially. "Look, man, I know this is a load of crap, but the mayor has it in for you for some reason. She'll be here any minute. Just do what she wants and you'll be out of here in no time."

Emma groaned, but let him lock her in the cell. Sure enough, it wasn't long before they heard the click of 4 inch heels. Graham left the room; Emma stared down the woman approaching her, who seemed extremely pissed off.

"Seriously?" Regina opened. He didn't even seem apologetic.

"Not only have you led on numerous people in this town, you have destroyed valuable town property, and you a still here, causing trouble!"

"I'm only here because of you," Emma said angrily. She realised, too late, that her statement could be read in more than one way. Regina took it as it was intended, though.

"I want you out. Stay away from me, stay away from my son, and stay away from my town."

"As you wish, Madam Mayor," Emma said, "Just as soon as you let me out of this cell."

Regina took the key, playing with it. "How do I know you won't cause any more trouble?"

She was loathe to admit it, but having Em locked up like this was oddly… Enjoyable. Somehow, Emma caught her mood. She waggled her eyebrows, deciding to use the attraction between them to her advantage.

"You don't. I guess you'll have to take the risk."

Regina gaped at her prisoner. "Take a chance on you?"

"Why not? Honestly, you look like you could use a little mischief," Emma continued shamelessly. Regina raised an eyebrow.

"With someone like you? I do not consort with common criminals, Mr Swan."

"Oh really? You strike me as someone who enjoys flirting with danger."

"And why do you say that?"

"Well apart from anything else, you're doing it now."

"Flirting? I am not flirting," Regina declared incredulously.

"Sure you're not. Swaying in here in your tight skirt with your blouse half unbuttoned…"

"Men! The way I dress is not an invitation."

Emma was slightly wrong footed. "Sorry," she said, the word full of understanding. More times than she could count, men had judged her by the way that she dressed. "I just meant… You're very beautiful."

Regina softened, but very little. "Thank you for apologising. But it's not enough for me to want to let you out." She turned to leave the room.

"Come on," Emma groaned. "I… I'll buy you dinner. You can wear sweatpants."

"I thought you were leaving?"

"A farewell dinner."

"Very well. But to negate your rampant sexism, I will pay. And it will be coffee, not dinner, so I can get it over with more quickly."

Emma pretended to be hurt, watching as Regina unlocked the cell and opened the door for her. "You want to get me over with? You should get to know me better… I've never had anyone say that before."

Regina didn't miss the change of topic. "I'm sure you'll find plenty of women to get to know you back in Boston."

"What if I'm not interested?"

"Then you might just get a taste of your own medicine. Come on. Coffee. Then let's get you on your way."

It infuriated her beyond belief, but no matter what he did, Regina couldn't bring herself to hate the man. He was so endearing, so sweet… And he had seemed genuinely upset at saying something sexist, which was rare in a man, even in this modern world.

"Henry was devastated this morning," Regina admitted. "I told him that you left. I don't suppose… Well, you could still stay. He would love it if you stayed, even for a few days."

Emma thought about it. It was only a week. She felt Regina looking at her, her eyes so full of hope and… Oh God, those eyes. And Henry. She really, really wanted to get to know him. He was such a gutsy kid, he'd come all the way to Boston for her… He'd forgiven her for giving him up. He must have done. So maybe… Maybe she'd tell him, and he'd forgive her for pretending to be someone else, too. She could play it by ear. Maybe she wouldn't have to lie. She could stay for a few more days…

"Okay. I'll stay. But only for the week."

The smile that broke across Regina's face almost made Emma's heart burst out of her chest.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you so much for all the follows, favs, and reviews! Please keep them coming, I love your comments and ideas. Lauren, you deserve a lot of credit - your idea seems incredibly popular ;) I hope you all enjoy chapter 2. Oh, and another thing, since Lana is telling the world about her top hits, here is one of mine - AND IT IS SO SWAN QUEEN. It's "Ride A White Swan" by T Rex. Just play it. Seriously - I mean look at the title…

Additional note: I heard that someone else is writing based on the same prompt. The prompt was very public, and she's neither stealing the idea nor upsetting me in any way - so let's not be mean about it! Her story is just as valid as mine. But thanks for bringing it to my attention. Sometimes people do steal stories, and those people suck. Thankfully, this isn't one of those times.

* * *

"Okay. I'll stay. But only for the week."

Emma collapsed on her bed, trying desperately not to think about that stupid, beautiful smile. And the fact that she was trying not to think about that stupid, beautiful smile - the stupid, beautiful smile of a woman who was... stupidly beautiful, stupidly amazing, stupidly fascinating… And hurting her son, somehow. She was playing a MAN. They thought she was a guy, they thought she was Henry's uncle, they thought she had a twin, they thought she had a PENIS. Regina thought she had a… There was no way Regina would be into her if she knew the truth. Right?

Emma bit her lip. She didn't often bother herself with deep philosophical concepts, but she liked to think that love wasn't about gender. It was about… Personality, about people. And she was still her. Those things she said, the verbal sparring, the flirting… That had been 100% Emma. Was it really such a big lie?

If it weren't for lying to Henry… She slammed her head against the pillows, but didn't stay there long. She was a woman of action. A man of action. A Swan of action. She took a shower, wondering briefly if the bindings would have a permanent effect on her breasts. She damn well hoped not. Yet another reason to come clean. But she couldn't come clean. Regina would KILL her. And never let her see Henry again. She'd think she was crazy. She'd be RIGHT to think she was crazy.

Emma washed her newly cut hair, pleased that it was so easy now. She dressed quickly; it was another jeans and t-shirt day. She missed her skinnies. She missed her skinnies a lot. She shrugged into the worryingly free jacket, ruffled her hair nervously, and went downstairs. Red, or Ruby, as Emma had learned from Granny's shouts, was working in the diner, but Emma hurried past her and into the fresh air.

She walked. She wanted to get to know the town, she told herself… She found herself at the school, scuffing her boot on the low wall surrounding the garden where a sweet looking teacher was explaining something about trees to some less than fascinated looking children.

"Em!" came an excited shout. Henry dashed over as soon as he saw her. Emma smiled. She was here for him, even if it wasn't consciously.

"Hey, kid," she said, remembering just in time to do her "man voice".

"You're still here," Henry observed.

"Your mom convinced me… Just a week, though."

"I wonder why she wants you to stay," Henry said, more to himself than to Em. "I mean… If you can break the curse…"

Em sat down on the wall, motioning for Henry to sit beside her. He did so.

"That's Snow White," he commented conversationally, gesturing to his teacher.

"She's… Wait, what?" Emma asked.

"My teacher. I mean, everybody calls her Miss Blanchard, but in the Enchanted Forest she was Snow White. My mom's nemesis. My mom hates her. She tried to kill her for years."

"What? Your mom tried to kill someone?"

"Not in this world," Henry said, sounding almost disappointed.

"How do you know all this?" Emma asked, playing along.

"It's in my book. Duh."

"And where did you get the book?"

"Miss Blanchard gave it to me."

Emma raised her eyebrows.

"You'd like her," Henry said happily. "She's your mom."

Emma couldn't help herself. "Kid, I'm twenty-eight, she cannot by my mom. She's the same age! It's impossible."

"No. No it's was frozen. It was frozen until you showed up, until last night."

Emma resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Who's my dad?" Emma asked, not having anything else to say.

"He's… He's in a coma," Henry said sadly. "But he'll wake up when you break the curse."

"Wait, I'm going to break it?"

"Yes, of course you are," Henry said exasperatedly. "You're the saviour."

Emma groaned. "I'm… What do I have to do to break it?"

Henry sighed. "I don't know. But it has to be you. Or my mom. But my mom isn't here… I think you'll work. I mean… If you could get her here…"

It was those eyes. Those sad, puppy eyes that made Emma want to grab him and hug him.

"I… I have to tell you something," she said. She wasn't a liar. She'd been lied to so much as a kid… She wouldn't lie to her son.

"I… I'm your mom," she said.

Henry gaped. "Wait… You had a sex change?"

Emma stifled a laugh. It wasn't really funny. And there wasn't anything wrong with it. It kind of made sense…

"No, kid. I… I just… When you showed up, I was dressed as a guy for a job."

"Ah, catching bad guys!"

"Well, this was a bad girl, actually. But I'm a girl, really. I'm your mom."

"And you ARE the saviour!" Henry said gleefully, flinging his arms around her.

"Yeah, yeah, okay, but… You can't tell anyone. It is a huge secret. If your mom finds out she'll never let me see you-"

"My lips are sealed," Henry promised. His eyes glistened with tears. Emma was terrified. "Hi, mom," he whispered.

"Hi, Henry." She took his hand. "But that's the last time you call me that, okay? Em will have to do."

Henry grinned. "It's like a secret mission. We're gonna break the curse… It's operation… Operation Cobra."

"Cobra? But that has nothing to do with moms. Or curses."

"Exactly!" Henry said, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You should get back to class," Emma realised. "I'll see you for dinner. Uncle Em, remember."

"Got it. Wait, you're coming for dinner?"

"Your mom invited me."

"So weird," Henry muttered. He hopped off the wall and hurried back to his classmates. His teacher waved at Emma; Emma waved back awkwardly and wondered what the hell she was doing. She was glad to have told him, though. Could you trust ten year olds with secrets? Emma didn't know. She found it hard to see the ten year old as any different from any other person. Maybe she was bad with kids, but she just saw Henry as… As awesome. Hilarious. Smart. She could see in his eyes, in his expressions, that he came from her, that he was part her, but she found it so hard to believe that someone so whole, so wonderful, could in any way be hers.

She thought back to when he was born. She didn't want to, but as she got up off the wall and began to walk back into town, the memories invaded her brain of their own accord. She remembered the pain. She remembered not wanting to look at him, but learning it was a him, learning that she had given birth to a boy, a beautiful boy that she would never know, that she could never know… And now she knew him! She had always wanted to. But she had thought it would be selfish, selfish to keep a baby she didn't know how to keep. And now he was sad… Emma's brow furrowed as she thought about Regina, Henry's mother, the woman who had done everything she hadn't dared to.

Regina was… Emma's breath caught in her throat as she pictured the stunning woman she had met the day before. Regina was distracting. Emma wondered about the sadness behind those dark brown eyes, about the secrets that they seemed to be hiding. Why did Henry insist that she was evil, a murderer in a past life? What could she have done to him to make him feel that way? Emma couldn't bring herself to judge the woman when her own impressions were so different, but she couldn't bring herself to trust her, either. Henry was so convinced…

Emma had reached the diner. She went inside, smiling at Ruby and allowing herself to be served a cup of coffee. It was quiet, and Emma was glad to have Ruby's company.

"Hey, Red," she said in her manliest tones.

"Hey, Em! I'm so glad you're still here. No one from outside of Storybrooke has ever come here before," Ruby gushed.

"Really? Ever?" Emma found herself intrigued.

Ruby confirmed this with a shake of her head, then helped herself to the seat opposite her new friend.

"I'm glad things seem to be changing around here," Ruby said happily. "I mean… It's nice having you around."

"Thanks," Emma said awkwardly. "Listen… What do you know about the mayor?"

"Mayor Mills? She's… I mean, she's a very good mayor."

"How long has she been in office?"

"Uhm… As long as I can remember."

"And what about…" Emma bit her lip, wondering if she could trust Ruby. The last thing she wanted was for it to get back to Regina that she had been asking questions.

"Don't worry, she and I aren't friends," Ruby reassured the handsome young man in front of her. Honestly, she would have done anything for him.

"Okay," Emma said. "Then… What about Henry? Is she good to him?"

Ruby shrugged. "I mean… From what I see, yeah. She's not a very soft person, but she looks after him really well, I think. I guess she can be kind of strict, but it's only been in the last couple of weeks that he's been at all unhappy. And I don't know much else - they don't come in here much."

Emma nodded. "Do you know who might know more about them?"

Ruby tilted her head to one side. "I don't know if she'll know anything about the mayor, but Mary Margaret, that's Henry's teacher, she sees him every day, and she comes in here for coffee every morning, bright and early, if you want to catch her."

Emma grinned. "Perfect. Thanks."

"No problem. You can bump into her tomorrow. It's sweet, that you care so much about your sister's kid."

Emma shrugged. "She's more than my sister… I mean, Emma and I… We're very close. I know she'd want me to look out for him."

Ruby smiled. "It's nice to meet a man who thinks that way."

Emma wondered how much more bizarre her life could get.

* * *

"Mr Swan. How nice to see you," Regina said as she held the door open for her guest. Henry charged downstairs to meet her.

"Em! Did you have a good day?"

Emma ruffled his hair, much more comfortable with the gesture than she'd expected.

"Yeah, thanks."

Henry winked at her deliberately. Emma glared. Regina watched the exchange looking slightly puzzled.

"You two seem to be getting along like a house on fire," she commented. Henry grinned.

"Uncle Em came by the school while I was at recess. I told him about… Things."

Geez, the kid really needed to learn how to lie. Regina didn't seem too suspicious, though.

"Isn't that nice?" she said, catching Emma's eye. "Here, let me take your jacket and you can come in and wash up. The lasagna is in the oven, it will be ready in a few minutes. Would you like a drink?"

Emma didn't think she'd ever been hosted so efficiently. "Sure - do you have beer?"

Regina produced a fancy looking beer from the fridge, and to her credit, opened it like a pro. Emma took the bottle gratefully and leaned against the counter. Henry had retreated upstairs to finish his homework.

"Just let me know if I'm in the way," Emma said, "instead of arresting me or something."

Regina rolled her eyes. "You destroyed town property. It was procedure."

"I think you just wanted to see me again."

Regina chuckled, the sound almost alien to her. She loved it, the way it opened up her chest. She hadn't laughed, genuinely, in… In way too long.

"I would never be so unprofessional," she assured her guest.

"Your loss. If you admitted it, I might even let you cuff me again."

There it was again, the laughter, even louder this time. Regina felt like a high school girl, getting all fluttery at a little attention from a handsome man. But it had been so long since anyone had willingly paid her that kind of attention. It was incredibly refreshing.

"Do you like that sort of thing, Mr Swan?"

"I was under the impression that you did."

"I don't deny that I like to control the situations I find myself in, but bondage might be taking it a little far."

"Maybe you should push yourself to the limit. Maybe that's what you need. It's liberating."

"Do I seem un-liberated to you, Mr Swan?"

"You seem… Regimented."

"There is nothing wrong with a little order," Regina said stiffly, wondering if she should be offended. The oven timer started beeping and she switched it off, then leaned down to remove the lasagna.

"What do you do for fun?" Emma asked. The question came out rather more flirtatiously than she'd intended.

Regina put the lasagna on the counter. "This," she answered honestly. "And in fact… You are the first dinner guest I've had in a while."

"Really?" Emma was genuinely surprised. "I imagined people flocking to be your companion for the evening."

Again, the word companion held undertones that only Emma's subconscious had been aware of before she spoke.

"Fortunately, that is not the case. Henry and I are happy as we are."

"But we wouldn't mind if Em stuck around for a while," a small voice piped up from the doorway. "I smell dinner," Henry added. "And I'm glad you two are making friends."

"I suppose it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if we saw a little more of you," Regina conceded. Henry poured himself some apple juice and they trooped into the dining room to enjoy a delicious lasagna.

An hour or so later, Emma found herself lounging on Regina's couch, her beer replaced by a large tumbler of apple cider, and her stomach appreciating the loose cut of her jeans. Regina was seated across from her, perched elegantly in an armchair.

"Look," Emma said, the cider loosening her tongue. "I'm not trying to criticize, but what's up with Henry? He seems… I mean, he came looking for his birth mother. I'm just curious about why."

Regina had a moment of weakness before she controlled her emotions and presented Emma with her hardened exterior.

"He is a young boy, he is growing up. I am sure that it is just a phase. If it makes you feel better, I send him to therapy sessions twice a week with an excellent doctor."

"Are you worried about him, then?"

"Of course I am! I'm his mother," Regina said forcefully. "But whatever he may tell you, I love him dearly. He is my life," she admitted, her features softening with the revelation.

Emma stood instinctively, crossing the room to place a hand on Regina's arm. Regina surprised herself by leaning into the touch, rather than flinching away.

"He's going to be fine," Emma said softly. "And so are you."

Regina jumped out of the chair. "What?"

"I just... I just said, so are you. You're going to be fine too." Emma stumbled through her words, not understanding what she had said that was so appalling.

"What makes you think that I am not fine now?" Regina demanded.

"I… Nothing, I just thought… I just… You seem stressed," Emma finished weakly.

"I assure you, I am doing wonderfully, Mr Swan."

"I… I didn't-"

"I think it is time for you to leave," Regina stated forcefully. Emma did as instructed, putting down her glass, grabbing her jacket, and storming out of the mansion as fast as she could without actually running.

Regina watched Em go. The kind, intelligent man with a twinkle in his eyes. The first man since… the first man in a very long time who had effortlessly made her laugh. And that was it, she supposed. She had been letting him get too close. She had almost let her guard down. But she would never make that mistake again. She couldn't trust him. She couldn't trust anyone. And any kind of affection was nothing more than weakness.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: THIS FIC IS BASED ON A PUBLIC PROMPT. Stories with the same concept have just as much right to it as I do. I am actually really pissed that I'm having to say this again. "The Adventures of Emmanuel Swan" is a great story which I fully support. If it receives any more hate, THIS story is going on hiatus. I asked nicely in the previous chapter. I am incredibly disappointed in humanity in general that I am having to ask again that the few people who are being idiots get their shit together and stop being assholes in the name of defending my story. Thanks.

On a happier note, thank you so much for all the positive feedback! If you want, check out "Runaways", it's another SQ fic of mine, which I totally adore.

* * *

3

Emma fiddled with her phone, twisting it around in her fingers as she waited for her pancakes in the diner. With a frustrated sigh, she typed out a message.

_Regina,_

_Sorry about last night. I didn't mean to upset you. I would like to see Henry again, if that's okay with you. Thanks._

_E_

Hating the idea of waiting for a response, she turned off the phone and fidgeted with her napkin instead. Fortunately, Ruby brought over her pancakes, so she had something constructive to do for the next ten minutes. When she was done eating, she kicked herself internally and turned on her phone again, waiting impatiently for it to reconnect and collect any messages. To her surprise, Regina had responded.

_Mr Swan,_

_Your apology is unnecessary. Please meet Henry and me at Granny's Diner at 4pm._

_Regina_

Emma gaped at the phone. Coming from Regina, the text was practically grovelling. She quickly responded that she would be there, then wondered what the hell was going on. Regina was so hard to understand. One moment she was flirtatious, almost friendly, but the next she was distant and cold. Henry didn't seem like a liar; while there were no such thing as evil queens, Emma didn't believe his fears could be ungrounded. She decided to analyse the pair more closely when they met in the afternoon.

So. What to do until then?

"You liked those pancakes, huh?"

Ruby was leaning suggestively over the table, reaching to pick up Emma's plate.

"You need anything else?"

"Nah, I'm good… But do you know what I can do around here all day?"

Ruby laughed. "Getting bored of our small town? I don't blame you. Let's see… I mean, there are some hiking trails in the forest. Or if you like animals you could go see the animal shelter. I'm afraid the library's closed, but there's a movie theatre downtown. I think right now it's playing "Maleficent".

Emma chuckled at the evil queen parallels, and decided to go see the movie. If it was good, she could offer to take Henry later in the week.

The theatre was almost empty, but Emma bought her ticket and some popcorn, considering it a fairly pleasant way to waste a morning. The movie was surprisingly good. Emma decided she might well take Henry. She could ask Regina too… She wondered if the woman would like it. There was something about villains being more than they seemed that Emma thought might appeal to both Regina and Henry. Depending on how the afternoon meeting went, she was fairly sure she would suggest it for their activity the next day - since the meetings seemed to be becoming a daily thing.

By the time the movie was over and she was back at the diner, it was only an hour before Regina and Henry would show up. Emma entertained herself with push ups, working on developing the muscles of her torso. She was getting more and more used to dressing like a man. It was strange how the persona absorbed her. When she walked around town, she really felt like Emmanuel. So weird. The sooner she stopped it, the better. But it was interesting, too, quite literally seeing how the other half lived.

She showered quickly and put on some clean clothes, wondering if there was a laundry room she could use. She logged the thought for later, she could ask Ruby. Then she went downstairs, not surprised to see Regina seated primly in a booth with her son bouncing eagerly beside her.

"Em!" he called as soon as he saw her. "How was your day?"

"It was good, thanks. How was school?"

"Boring. But mom said I can get an ice cream."

Emma raised her eyebrows at Regina.

"You had to bribe him to come see me?"

Regina chuckled at the joke, despite her determination to be cool with Henry's new uncle. "I thought he deserved a treat. It's been a complicated few weeks."

Emma nodded. "I guess it has."

"Can I go get my ice cream?" Henry asked eagerly. Regina nodded and he zipped across the room, perching on a stool and chattering away to Ruby.

"How was your day?" Emma asked Regina.

"It was… I found myself unusually distracted," Regina admitted.

"Oh?" Emma asked.

"I was thinking about last night. I… I was taken unawares."

"It's okay," Emma said. "I mean… I never meant to imply you aren't able to take care of yourself."

"It has been a great many years since anyone has behaved towards me in a way that could be considered… Compassionate. I hope my reaction did not put you off entirely. Upon further thought, I believe… I believe I could come to appreciate such attention."

"Apology accepted," Emma said cheerfully. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Do not push your luck, young man."

Emma laughed. "Okay, okay… But I have an idea, if you really appreciate my attentions."

Regina raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Maleficent is playing at the movie theatre tomorrow night. I wondered if you and Henry would like to come with me."

Regina glanced over at her son. "I am sure we would be delighted," she said. "And on Thursday, Henry has suggested that you come over and learn how to make apple turnovers. They are our speciality."

Emma grinned. "I'd love to. I should warn you though, I'm not much of a cook."

"It is all in the discipline, Mr Swan."

Henry reappeared with an enormous ice cream sundae.

"That is not what I told you that you could get," Regina reprimanded, but she sounded more amused than angry, and Henry giggled at the humour in her voice.

"Sorry," he said cheerfully. He handed both of his mothers a spoon. "But this way we can share."

Regina seemed more surprised by the gesture than Emma was, and more than a little uncertain about attacking the ridiculous ice cream concoction, but she joined in bravely, and found that she loved the sweet, creamy taste that she usually denied herself.

"You're a good influence on her," Henry whispered to Emma while Regina paid a visit to the ladies' room. He waggled his eyebrows. "And she _likes_ you, too."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Of course she doesn't. I'm not even a real guy!"

"Lies always come back to bite you in the ass," Henry pointed out. "But it's okay. I think she likes girls too. Sometimes I catch her staring at Ruby's breasts."

"I think it's impossible not to stare at Ruby's breasts. They're kind of… prominent." Emma realised her conversation partner was ten. "Anyway! Your mother does not 'like' me. She's just being nice. And she thinks I'm a man."

"But you're still you," Henry persisted. "I mean, there's not that much difference."

"There's a lot of difference," Emma told him, but she wasn't sure she actually thought so.

"You should tell her who you really are," Henry said.

"What happened to her being evil?"

"I dunno. She's not so evil when you're around. Maybe that's how you save us. By reminding her that she's good, really."

"You love her," Emma stated.

"Of course I do, she's my mom. I just… Don't hurt her?"

He seemed almost pleading. "Henry, I… If I tell her the truth, it _will_ hurt her."

Henry shook his head furiously. "No. Lying is always worse. The truth will come out in the end and then she'll never forgive you. If you tell her now, maybe she will."

"I can't. Look, the only way she's going to find out is if you tell her, and I know you won't do that. I… You're right, being honest is better. But I don't know how I can be honest, now," Emma admitted. Henry sighed.

"Why are grown ups so difficult?" he asked, staring into the bottom of his sundae glass. Emma patted his shoulder.

"It's going to be fine. I'll be out of here on Friday-"

"You're still gonna leave?" Henry asked, horrified.

Regina came back to the table, worried at the sight of her stricken looking son.

"What is it, dear?"

"Em's still leaving," Henry said dejectedly.

"Of course he is. He has a life to get back to, a job, friends… He can't stay forever."

"I thought he might decide to… Once he got to know us," Henry admitted. Regina smiled gently. In fact, she had been entertaining similar fantasies. But they were not realistic.

"I am sure he will visit again in the future," Regina said, looking at Emma pointedly. Emma nodded, knowing she wouldn't, but unable to do anything else.

"And we should be leaving. You need some real food, and then we'll get your homework done," Regina said. Henry sighed, but got up from the booth.

"See you tomorrow," Emma told him. He glared at her, and as soon as his mother's back was turned, gestured madly that Emma should tell the truth.

When they were gone, Emma ordered some more food, but found her appetite shockingly lacking. All the lying will do that do you, her brain muttered angrily. She groaned. Ruby noticed.

"What's up?"

Emma stayed silent.

"Girl trouble?" Ruby persisted. Emma sighed.

"How did you guess?"

"Wasn't hard. You have a thing for Regina, don't you?"

Emma considered her options, but she'd had enough of lying. Ruby was a gossip, but Emma had a feeling her big secret would be safe, at least from Regina, at least until Friday.

"Fine," she admitted. "So what if I do?"

"So go for it! By God, the woman could use a shag."

Emma rolled her eyes. Ruby just laughed.

"What? She could." She helped herself to a french fry and sat down opposite Emma.

"What's stopping you?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Emma lied.

"Yeah, yeah. Is it the kid? He's all for it, can't you tell?"

"But I'm leaving. It'll mess with his head."

"Do you actually have to leave? You could get a job in town, I mean, especially with the mayor on your side. And you obviously care about them. You guys seem like you have a great time. A proper little family. I don't really see the problem…"

"The world isn't a fairytale," Emma said exasperatedly. "And anyway… Even if all that's true, it won't work."

"Why? Spit it out."

"Because… Because I'm not a real man."

It was Ruby's turn to roll her eyes. "Dude. Seriously. That is the lamest excuse ever. Of course you're a real man, every man is a real man. Don't be so stupidly hard on yourself."

Emma wanted to bang her head against the wall. Instead, she grabbed Ruby's arm and dragged her upstairs.

"Hey, if you're proving your manhood… I mean, I'm totally in," Ruby said uncertainly. "But I thought you liked Regina..?"

They reached Emma's room; Emma shut and locked the door. Ruby stared at her. Emma dropped her pants and pulled off her shirt, displaying her bulge-free crotch and bandaged chest. Ruby gasped.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! You mean… You're actually not a man! You're a GIRL!?"

Emma began to unwind the bandages; Ruby turned around to give her some privacy as she freed her tired breasts and put her shirt back on.

"Yeah. I'm a girl," Emma said weakly, reverting to her normal voice.

There was a long pause.

"Shit," Ruby said finally. "But the being into Regina thing… That's real?"

Emma threw herself down on the bed. "Yes. That is entirely genuine."

"Shit," Ruby said again, lying on the bed beside Emma. "Hey, wait up. If you're a girl… Are you Henry's birth mom?"

"Yes. He knows, though."

"Henry knows?" Ruby seemed horrified.

"He's my kid, I couldn't lie to him."

"At least you're not a total psycho," Ruby decided. "But… Why are you pretending to be a guy?"

"I…" Emma really couldn't think of a sensible answer any more. She told the story of Henry finding her that way, but it all seemed ridiculous now.

"You really know how to screw shit up for yourself," Ruby said, laughing. Emma hit her with a pillow.

"It's not funny!"

"It kind of is, when you think about it. Well, look. You're planning to leave on Friday anyway. So tell her right before you go. If she gets crazy mad, which I'll admit, she probably will, the worst she can do is run you out of town, and you're planning to leave anyway. If she looks like she might forgive you… Well, maybe you can stay."

It was a good plan. It made sense. Emma punched the mattress. "I am such an idiot," she yelled.

"I'm going to have to agree with you on that one," Ruby said, getting up and moving to leave the room. "But it's nice to finally meet you. And," she grinned, opening the door, "you make an even hotter girl than you do a guy. And that is saying something."

Emma watched the door close, then pulled the comforter over her head. She was so, so screwed.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you so much for all your feedback, it's awesome, please keep it coming. To the guest reviewer Jessica, Emma is not a man. She's dressing as a man, but I promise you, she is all woman inside. But even if that weren't the case, I don't ship SQ because they're two women. I ship them because they're AMAZING for each other. And I don't not ship OQ because they're a man and a woman, I don't ship them because Regina deserves better than a cheating cheater and flipping fairy dust telling her how to live her life.

* * *

4

Regina waited outside the movie theater. Henry stood beside her, scuffing his shoe on the sidewalk.

"Don't do that, dear," she said absently. Henry stopped.

"He'll be here, don't worry," he told his mother.

Emma ran along the sidewalk, cursing her baggy pants and the odd fit of her clothes. She looked alright, but she felt weird. Her breasts were beginning to ache from being bound so tightly, but the pain was nothing compared with the guilt burning in her chest every time she thought about how she was lying to Regina.

"Sorry I'm late," she panted. She had reached the mother and son. Henry grinned at her.

"Hi, Uncle Em."

Regina nodded, not quite managing to hide her frustration. She hated it when people were late. How hard was it to be punctual, really? Regina liked everything in her life to be ordered, she liked to know everything, especially what to expect.

"Shall we?" she said eventually, after a few moments of awkward standing around. They entered the theater and Emma bought the tickets, as well as a large bucket of popcorn which she handed to Henry, causing Regina to raise an eyebrow.

"It's a treat," she defended. Regina rolled her eyes.

"Very well. Just this once." She realised that it really was just this once. They would not be going to the movies together again.

They headed inside and laughed at the trailers, Regina and Emma occasionally making eye contact over Henry's head; he was seated between them. Henry munched his popcorn and wondered why grown-ups were so weird.

Emma was awesome. She made a great guy, too, but she was lying… He studied his biological mother. She wasn't any different as a man, she wasn't any different with Regina than she was with him. She was still really cool. But he knew that lying was wrong… He kind of thought that it didn't really matter whether she was a woman or a man. But she was hiding it… He also thought that his mother would still like her if she knew she was a woman, but… He knew very well that Regina detested lying. Which was a bit rich if she was actually the evil queen. But she didn't seem all that evil any more.

The movie started. Emma had been right. Regina and Henry both loved the absorbing fairytale land and the retelling of the story. By the end, Henry had decided that if Regina was the evil queen, he needed to know a lot more about her story before he could really hate her. Regina wondered why Em had chosen the movie, whether it had been all about Henry, or whether he was starting to have suspicions too. She thought it was just Henry. She was also amazed by the 3D effects.

"It's like magic," she had breathed when the first object seemed to fly out of the screen and into her face. Em chuckled.

"You've never seen a 3D movie before?" she asked.

Regina shook her head. "I rarely have time for things like this."

"What, you mean, fun things?" Emma asked. Regina laughed.

"Yes, I suppose you are right in a way. I will make more time for them in the future, I think."

Henry grinned. "Good!" he announced.

They left the theater, all smiling. Emma walked Regina and Henry home. When they arrived Henry hurried inside to use the bathroom and Emma hovered outside the open door. Regina's eyes met hers.

"Thank you," Regina said. "That was… I had a nice time."

"Just nice?" Emma wanted to ask, but instead she felt herself inch closer to Regina. She was half convinced Regina would push her backwards down the steps, but their eyes remained locked, their breath mingling as sparks flew between their fingers.

"You are different than any man I have ever met," Regina said softly. Emma bit her lip and looked at the floor, breaking the connection, but felt Regina's fingers under her chin.

"Why are you looking away?" Regina asked. Emma wanted to hug her. She sounded so nervous, so sure there was something wrong with her. There was so much hurt there, so much caution, so much distrust. And when Emma told the truth, Regina would never trust her. She would never forgive her. Emma could see that Regina had been hurt before, badly. And she knew that in two days, she would hurt her again.

"I… I'm leaving on Friday," Emma whispered.

"It's not Friday yet," Regina said, surprising herself with her boldness.

Their eyes met again, Emma took Regina's hand from under her chin and gripped it tightly. Their lips were an inch away from each other now, if that.

"See you tomorrow," Emma said suddenly, letting go of the hand, turning on her heel and hurrying away.

Regina stared after her, then slowly closed the front door and leaned her back against it.

"Mom?" Henry asked, back from the bathroom. "Are you okay?"

Regina nodded. "Yes, dear, I just…"

"Are you in love?"

He asked as if it was so simple. In the end Regina offered him a rare insight into her soul.

"I don't know, Henry. I really don't know."

Sensing her divulgatory mood, Henry plucked up his courage and asked something else.

"Are you the evil queen? I… I liked the movie. If you _are _the evil queen, I won't hate you, I promise."

Regina looked at him, hard.

"But if I were the evil queen, I would have lied to you."

Henry shrugged. "I guess most grown-ups lie. I mean, I'm not happy about it, but you're my mom... And I have to know."

Regina checked the time, then took Henry's hand. "Okay, Henry. I'm going to show you something now, a lot of things. But you have to promise to keep this a secret, at least for now."

Henry nodded. "I promise. But mom. I was right? It is you, isn't it?"

Regina bit her lip. "I never wanted to be an Evil Queen," she told him, "but yes. For a long time, that is who I was. I do not regret it, because everything I did brought me to you. But… I am sorry. And now I am going to show you some things which will tell my side of the story."

Henry followed her outside. They walked through the forest, reaching the cemetery just as the sun was setting.

"You brought your vault with you," Henry exclaimed. Regina led him into the crypt, then down the narrow staircase and into her vault. She found a box of keepsakes from her childhood and started there, slowly telling him the story of her life that wasn't in his book. It was so late when she finished that she almost had to carry him home. She put him to bed.

"You should tell Em," he murmured, almost asleep.

"He wouldn't understand," Regina said sadly. She kissed her son goodnight.

"Everybody has secrets," Henry said as his mother left the room.

It wasn't long before Regina went to her own bed, trying not to think about… About why she couldn't trust men. It had been years ago, decades ago, but she remembered those nights so vividly… Since then she had never had a sexual relationship that went anything beyond her own forceful physicality. She always had to be completely in control, and if she was honest… the idea of something pushing into her, breaching her, still made her feel sick. She had done it anyway, many, many times, but… It had made her almost hate them. And now Em, Em, who was so different… Even if he stayed, Regina was terribly afraid it would be too much for her.

* * *

The next day, Emma decided to go for a hike. She wasn't due at Regina's until five, but there wasn't really much for her to do in Storybrooke if she wasn't with her son or his mother. Ruby was working, and the only other person she'd really talked to, Mary Margaret, would be working too. Emma was used to being alone, but she wasn't used to… To just staying, still, in a place so small. The scariest part was, she kind of liked it, in a weird way. Everybody knew each other, everybody seemed like they were friends.

Emma set out into the woods, throwing caution to the wind and losing the chest bindings, wearing a baggy sweater under her jacket. She wasn't expecting to see anyone, anyway. She borrowed a map from the diner and set off on the main hiking trail, but soon turned off the beaten path. She had a good sense of direction, she wasn't worried about getting lost.

The walk didn't do much for her except pass the time. She thought, a lot. She thought about how she was lying, how she was about to hate the only person she'd felt like she might care about since Henry's father. She thought about Henry, the son she'd thought she'd never see, and what a great kid he was. She thought about how he had been unhappy. He seemed to be doing okay with his mom now but…

Emma thought about Henry's story, his book. The strange thing was, everything he said made sense. It was ridiculous, of course, but the characters he'd told her about aligned perfectly with the real people in the town. Emma could even picture Regina as an evil queen… She was embarrassed at how sexy she found the image. She walked faster, looking up at the trees as they creaked in the slight breeze. It was just like the enchanted forest in the stories. Emma sighed. After just a few days in this town, she was already forgetting reality.

She'd spent just three days with Regina and Henry in her life, and she… She felt like she needed them. She didn't want to leave tomorrow. She never wanted to leave. Wait, what? Emma rolled her eyes. Of course she was leaving. She was living a lie! She didn't have a choice. It was all because of a stupid decision at the beginning of the week, but… Emma hated the thought, but she suspected that Regina would have seen her entirely differently had she known she was a woman. Maybe she would have hated her.

Emma checked the time. She should start heading back… She made her way along the path, admiring the flowers and small animals that she saw. She wasn't used to things like this, either. This was her first ever nature hike. She felt like a completely different person.

Back at the B&amp;B, she showered and changed quickly, not wanting to be late. She remembered the look on Regina's face yesterday after being kept waiting for a few minutes. Then she walked over to the house, briefly wondering (not for the first time) how insanely rich Regina must be to have a place like this. She knocked on the door.

"Ah, Mr Swan. Right on time," Regina said admiringly. Henry peeped out from behind her.

"I finished my homework, and we picked apples!"

Emma noticed that he looked tired. Regina went to wash up in the bathroom and Emma caught his eye.

"What's up, kid?"

Henry beamed at her, but shrugged. "Don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Henry…" Emma said warningly.

"Okay, fine… I can't tell you exactly. But I had a great conversation with my mom last night."

Emma smiled. "Well that doesn't have to be a secret. That's great, Henry."

Henry frowned. "Just because things are good again with me and my mom doesn't mean you shouldn't feel terrible if you're still planning to leave," he told her.

"Hey, Henry, I… I have to leave. I'm-" she looked around, making sure Regina was still out of earshot. "I'm living a lie," she whispered.

"So tell the truth," Henry advised, shaking his head at how complicated she made everything.

"I will, before I go. But it's going to make her hate me."

"You could still stay. She'd come around."

"No, Henry, I don't think she would."

"She likes you. We both do. Even if it's hard at first, if you tell the truth everything will be alright. You just have to trust…"

Emma admired Henry's conviction, but she didn't believe him. She was prevented from debating the matter further when Regina came back into the kitchen. The brunette put on a neat white apron, tying it around her figure hugging dress. She produced a basket of apples, plump and crimson. Henry grinned, put on an apron of his own (matching his mother, it was adorable), and sprinkled flour all over the counter, ready to roll out pastry. Regina laughed at his over enthusiastic covering - there was flour on the floor and walls, too. Regina was surprised there wasn't any on the ceiling. A week ago she might have yelled at him for it, but now it just made her happy - happy that he was so happy, so free… She had done what she'd always intended. She'd given him the childhood she had always dreamed of.

And Em was a part of that. Regina showed their guest how to cut the apples, slicing them carefully and mixing in sugar and spices.

"You are in a unique position," Regina commented. "You are the first person, besides Henry, ever to learn my prized turnover recipe."

Emma chuckled. "I'm honoured. And you don't need to worry about me stealing it. I'm not much of a cook."

"You seemed to be doing fine with those apples."

The corner of Emma's mouth twitched as she realised what she was going to say. "I'm good with my hands." She let the words spill out softly, a little too quiet for Henry to catch, just loud enough to give Regina a double take. With a sharp intake of breath, Regina gave herself a little shake and ignored the comment, no matter how it made her feel. Now was not the time. And Em was still leaving.

"Henry," she said carefully. "Why don't you run upstairs and finish your homework, and come back in 30 minutes when the turnovers are ready to eat."

Henry was happy to give his mothers time to talk, and even happier not to be involved in the cleanup operation that was necessary in the kitchen. Emma set about cleaning the flour off everything. Regina watched, impressed, then started on the dishes.

"You just… Clean things," Regina commented. She realised it was a bizarre thing to say, but Em seemed to know what she meant.

"I grew up in the foster system," Emma said. "I always had to do chores. I learned pretty quick that people like you a lot more if you just get on with stuff. And then it got to be a habit. I thought if I was super clean and tidy, families would want to keep me. It never really worked though."

"I… I'm sorry. That it was so hard. My childhood was complex, also, but I had many luxuries, and remained always with my parents."

"I guess everyone has struggles," Emma said. "But it's who we are now that matters." Unless we're lying about it, she added in her head.

"I couldn't agree more," Regina said, smiling. They finished drying the last of the dishes just as the turnovers were ready to come out of the oven. Regina slid them onto a wire rack to cool, closing the oven with her heel. She was so in control of everything she did. Emma found watching her almost hypnotic.

"Did… Did you get to stay with your sister?" Regina asked.

Emma was floored by the question. She had no idea what to say. In the end she just nodded.

"She and I have always been very close." Emma knew she was kind of avoiding the question, but it was the best she could think of. She hated lying.

"Do you mind if I ask what she is like?" Regina asked. Emma attempted a smile.

"Not at all. I guess it's natural that you're curious. She's a lot like me. And like Henry, I think… But I see a lot more of you in him."

Regina almost reached out to take Em's hand; she had to stop herself.

"I see you in him," she said softly. "We… I don't suppose there is any chance of you staying a little longer?"

Emma hated the look in her eyes, hated the hurt that was even more prominent than usual.

"I… I think it will be best for everyone if I leave tomorrow," she said. Regina's face visibly contracted, her emotions disappearing, being replaced by walls, by coldness.

"Very well. We should eat. Would you fetch Henry?"

Emma sighed as she went upstairs to find the boy. She wished things were different… Henry was lying on his stomach on his bed, reading comic books. When he heard her coming he pulled out a textbook to cover them, but he wasn't fast enough.

"I finished everything due tomorrow," he protested when she gestured to the comics.

"For your sake, I hope that's true." She sat down on the bed.

"It's time for food, but…"

"What, Emma? What is it?"

"Can I really tell her? It will crush her."

"It will crush her more when she eventually finds out. Emma, even if you leave tomorrow, I have to see you again."

Emma sighed. He was right. She wasn't going to give him up, not if he wanted her in his life, even a little.

"Okay. Well… Let's go eat, then I'll tell her when I leave…"

Henry gave her a hug. "You can do it. You'll feel better," he promised.

* * *

Dinner was eaten. The dishes were clean. Henry was in bed. Emma and Regina had been sitting sipping cider in the living room for the past hour. Emma had been sipping rather excessively. Dutch courage. What bullshit. Because courage - the courage she needed, at least - was the last thing on her mind.

What was on her mind was the way Regina's calves curved into the backs of her knees, the way her knees became her thighs, toned and strong, leading into her tight gray dress, the way the dress followed them up to her ass as she leaned against the mantle, curving beautifully, and then her back, her shoulder blades, the way she rolled her neck with tiredness, the way she was so tense…

Emma got up, took Regina's glass from her and set it down, and led Regina to an armchair. She took a large cushion off it and set it on the floor, then motioned for Regina to sit there. Regina raised an eyebrow.

"Trust me," Emma said gently. Regina kicked off her heels and sat on the cushion, her legs straight out in front of her (her dress had limited her options). Emma tapped her shoulders lightly.

"Don't move. I'll be right back."

Regina watched the lean young man leave the room and wondered what on earth she was doing. Right now, on the floor, and in general… She had no idea why she was sitting on a cushion on the floor when she was surrounded by perfectly good chairs. She had no idea why Em had left the room. She had no idea what she was going to do when he left for good - but she wouldn't think about that yet. While he was here, there was still a chance, there was still hope that he would stay.

Emma came back from the upstairs bathroom with a jar of lotion.

"Do you mind if I use this?" she asked.

"What for?" Regina said, never one to beat about the bush.

"You need to relax, and I am going to relax you. I'm going to give you a massage," Emma told her. Regina gaped for a moment. She remembered to close her mouth after not very long, but she was still surprised. Why? She thought about it. She had never had a massage before. Not once in her life. No one had ever offered, and she had never thought to demand one… She had never been cared for in that way.

Emma sat on the chair behind Regina, one leg either side of her.

"Is it okay if I, uhm, undo your dress a little?" Emma asked.

Regina wanted to scream just how okay it was, but she calmed herself and unzipped her own dress. She took off the sleeves and rolled it right down to her waist, revealing a fairly modest black bra.

"I don't want you to get lotion on it," she explained. Emma kicked herself for not thinking of it, then averted her eyes from Regina's breasts. She had a feeling Regina was starting a game of seduction, one which Emma did not want to enter into. A massage could be just a massage. That was all that was going to happen. Regina needed this. Emma knew how good it would be. She could do this. And then she would leave.

She opened the jar of lotion, rubbing some into her hands.

"You have the nicest fingers I've ever seen on a man," Regina murmured. She felt pleasantly light headed from the cider, just tipsy enough to enjoy Em's touch without worrying too much. And just tipsy enough to take of her dress and push her chest out.

Emma began at the top of Regina's neck, moving steadily downwards, making circles with her thumbs. When she got to the base of the neck she increased the pressure, working away all the tension in the trapezius muscle, then the spine… She had learned some massage techniques in a dance class a while back - she'd preferred dance to yoga. She went around Regina's shoulders, then along her arms, first the left, then the right, all the way to perfectly manicured fingertips. The only sound in the room was their breathing. Emma paused her hands, feeling Regina's heartbeat. If she was doing this right, it would be slow.

Emma returned to Regina's back, following her spine down past her bra strap, then going back to her shoulder blades, being even more forceful. She found the right pressure point and pushed in, hard. Regina moaned involuntarily, then blushed bright red.

"Sorry, should've warned you," Emma said. "But it's okay. It's meant to feel like that. Do you want me to do the other side?"

Regina steadied her breathing, then nodded. She didn't make a sound this time, she was ready, but when Emma moved to different points on her spine, she couldn't help a few more sounds of pleasure escaping from her mouth.

Emma continued the massage until Regina had completely opened up her shoulders. She was so loose, so relaxed. Emma could tell even just sitting behind her. Regina leaned back into the chair, her head tipping back so Emma could see the blissful expression on her face.

Before she could process what she was doing, Emma leaned down and pressed a soft, upside down kiss to Regina's lips. Regina smiled into it for a while, keeping her lips closed, then slid her head out from under Em's and moved to kneel on the cushion. Em stared into her lustful eyes for a moment before kissing her again, hungrily. Regina returned the kiss with equal passion, knowing this might well be the only time… God, she hoped this wouldn't be the only time.

Regina knew what she should do now. She knew what men liked, she knew how to please them. And Em deserved it. If anything would win him over, if anything would make him want to stay, this would. She fought away any reluctance. This wasn't about her, this wasn't about how she felt. Her irrational distastes be damned, she wanted to pleasure Em, she wanted that more than anything, and that was more important.

They continued to kiss, deepening it painfully slowly. Regina carefully opened her mouth; she felt Em open his with hers. His lips were so soft, so perfectly molded to her own, she could hardly believe it. Her whole body was alive with some kind of magic, electricity; she buzzed with a desire she didn't even understand.

Regina brought her hands down Em's sides. At first he bent closer to her touch, but then she thought she felt him stiffen. He relaxed again, though, and she continued, playing with the waistband of his jeans-

"Regina, wait-" Emma pulled away. Her desire had gotten the better of her, she had almost-

"What?" Regina asked softly.

"I…" Em couldn't find any words. She flopped back into the chair, and Regina took this as a sign that she could continue. Emma was too preoccupied, her brain too full of cider and fear and throbbing lust, to stop.

Regina undid Em's zipper and found… Nothing.

The first thing she felt was relief. She didn't have to, there wasn't, she wouldn't have to…

Emma came to her senses as Regina arrived at her second feeling - total bewilderment.

"What..?" she asked. She had no idea where to go from here. She knew there were men who didn't have penises. She knew things were more complicated than that. But by the look on Em's face, this wasn't that. This was bad.

"I'm…" Emma sat up, doing up her pants.

"Regina, don't freak out. Let me explain," she said. Regina stood; kneeling on the floor was suddenly unbearable. She pulled her dress back on but didn't zip it. She felt entirely dishevelled, inside and out.

"I am all ears," she said.

"I'm… Oh God, I'm such an idiot. This was real, okay. This was all real. All of it. I… I have only lied to you about one thing. And it was so stupid and I understand if you never forgive me but please try to remember that everything, everything else, at least for me, has been so, so real. This has been the best week of my life-"

Regina held up her hand.

"Stop begging for understanding and tell me what you wish for me to understand," she said. Emma shuddered. It was back to walls and coldness. She could already see Regina's shoulders stiffening.

"I am a woman," Emma said.

Regina looked at the man in front of her, with his soft lips and cheeks, with his slender fingers, with his glowing, beautiful eyes- No. With his feminine features. That was the thing. He was stunning. She was stunning.

"Are you… Are you transgender?" she asked.

Emma shook her head. "No. I'm all woman. Body and soul." She forced a kind of laugh. "Henry found me dressed like this for a job and I didn't have a chance to explain, but then I could have had a chance and I was just so-"

And then everything clicked. The other shoe dropped, and Regina realised how _exquisitely_ she had let herself be played. "Wait. Are you Henry's mother? Are you Emma Swan?"

Emma sighed, then nodded. Regina smiled, a horrible, painful smile that made Emma want to grab her and hold her and tell her everything was okay, that they could make sense of this, that it wasn't what she thought.

"I should have known," Regina said to herself, almost laughing, mostly so she couldn't cry. "I should have known."

"Please believe me, this, that kiss… That was all real, I swear, and I am exactly the same person you've begun to get to know-"

"Get out," Regina said icily.

Emma stood, but couldn't bring herself to leave.

"Please, I… Please give me a chance."

Regina could feel millions of things to say flooding into her mind, but none of them were useful, none of them were necessary.

"Get out of my house," she said again, then marched out of the room, heading straight upstairs to her room. She didn't look back until she heard the door slam. Then she ran to the window and looked out, looked out at this mysterious, crazy, gorgeous woman who suddenly made perfect sense and no sense at all at the same time.

* * *

A/N: More soon, I swear! I hope you liked it. Thank you for all the alerts I've been getting. If you want updates of a more personal (silly) nature, you're welcome to find me on twitter - reginakatic. Also, I love reviews. I know some people don't like when authors ask for them... We ask because we write for you, we care about what you think, we want to know what gets to you, what you like... I'm here for fun, but also to become a better writer. I am giving you almost 5000 words of story today. If you liked it, please tell me why, or what you'd like to see next, or even just hey! I love PMs too, and I always answer those. Don't get me wrong, I am going to write regardless. I'm just endlessly curious. Have a wonderful rest-of-week, see you soon! x


	5. Chapter 5

"You made her leave," whispered a voice in her doorway.

Regina turned to see her son, a horrifically understanding frown on his face. And then she realised the pronoun he had used.

"You knew?" she asked. She didn't know if that made her feel better or worse. At least the Swan woman hadn't lied to the boy, too. But… She had thought she and Henry were getting closer and closer. Had it all been fake? Had he just been hiding the fact that his mother was here… His real mother.

Henry nodded, studying his shoes intently.

"Why..?" Regina asked, unable to formulate the question, desperately trying not to cry.

"I told her to tell you. But she thought you'd be too hurt… She didn't want to hurt you. She _likes _you."

Regina rolled her eyes, only just managing not to say "bullshit" to her son.

"She does!" Henry insisted. "She… she was stupid, she thought she couldn't tell us… And now she's going to leave, unless you stop her."

"She was always going to leave, Henry. Even when she was a he."

"No! No, she wants to stay…"

Regina could not deny that she had thought so, too. There was a clap of thunder. It had started to rain. She thought about the man, woman… The PERSON who had changed her life in just a week. The person who had befriended her, who had seen past her cold exterior… And anyway, who was she to criticise people for hiding things about themselves? Henry seemed to have thought of this too.

"You have secrets too," he said. "At least she told the truth."

"She did not 'tell the truth'." Regina stopped herself. This was her ten year old son, she couldn't continue.

"You figured it out? Shit…"

"Henry, language! But, yes."

"She always meant to tell you, I swear. She hated lying."

Regina sighed, then knelt down to her son's level.

"I… I love you, Henry. And I trust _you_. So… What do you think I should do?"

Henry looked out into the rain.

"You have a better car than her, and she has to get her things from Granny's. I think you should go after her."

Regina bit her lip. "I… I'm so angry, sweetheart…"

Henry nodded. "I know. But… You won't be angry forever."

"What will you do?"

"I already called my friend, his dad's coming to get me and I'm staying at their place."

Regina smiled. What a schemer. Like mother, like son. She kissed his forehead.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Bring her home…"

Regina hugged her son tight. She agreed with him… Emma's home was with them. She fitted so perfectly. It couldn't all have been a lie. According to Henry, none of it had been a lie. She might not have been "herself" physically, but in all other respects… It had been real. It had all been real. Regina was FURIOUS. But Henry was right. She would not be so forever.

She ran out to her car, not even taking a coat. She started the engine and drove to Granny's, where the yellow bug was just pulling away again. She cursed loudly, but followed the dilapidated vehicle. The rain continued, pouring harder and harder; Emma drove far too fast for the conditions, tears streaming down her cheeks.

They were way out of town, now. Regina had a feeling something about the curse would keep Emma in, even if it killed her in the process. She turned on her hazard lights, gritted her teeth, and accelerated.

Emma was shaken back to reality as some lunatic tried to overtake her. She could hardly see the black shape of the car swinging around hers, drifting slightly on the wet road. She slammed on the breaks. The car had swerved in front of her. She missed it by inches, screeching to a halt, thanking her lucky stars she'd had the brakes done a month ago. She prepared herself to take her anger out on the idiot driver, yanking open her door.

Regina marched through the rain, soaked to the skin in seconds. She ignored the freezing water and made a beeline for Emma Swan, who was getting out of her car. Regina narrowed her eyes.

"You could have killed us both!" Emma yelled at the approaching figure.

Regina ignored the statement, coming closer and closer. Emma finally saw who the lunatic was. She gaped, droplets of rain rolling down her face and around her open mouth. She blinked. She had to be dreaming.

Regina had no idea what on earth she should say, so she just kept on walking. She slammed into Emma, their bodies pressing together as she pinned Emma against her car. She looked into the confused, lustful, miserable green eyes.

"You are not forgiven," she growled, before slamming her full, red lips into the pink ones before her. She ground her hips, pushing Emma harder into the car. Their mouths began open, fitting together as wonderfully as they had earlier, but with anger this time, with wild desperation.

What the hell was this woman doing to her? Regina kissed yet harder, grazing Emma's bottom lip with her teeth. Emma reached to touch something, anything of the brunette, realising her stormy companion was wearing nothing but a dress that was completely saturated with water. Emma felt goose bumps on bare skin.

"Shit, Regina," she said, pulling back from the kiss. "You're freezing."

Regina shivered, cursing her body for betraying her. Emma took off her jacket and sweater, wrapping them both around Regina. She led the mayor back to her car, opening the passenger door for her.

"Can I take you home?" Emma asked softly. She leaned over Regina in nothing but a wifebeater, her loose breasts attracting the brunette's attention. Regina cursed herself again. Emma turned the heat on full.

"Don't move," she said to the shivering woman in the car. "I'm just gonna pull the bug over and grab my keys. Then I'll take you home."

Regina nodded, her teeth chattering violently. She pulled the sweater closer around herself. It smelled like Em… A scent which she had always found far more alluring than the scent of any other man she'd ever met.

Because Em wasn't a man. Em was a woman. Regina found herself thinking back to the scene in her living room only an hour prior. She thought of the kissing, the touching, the magic… And she thought of her fear. She had been afraid, unwilling… When there had been no… No manhood to find, she had been relieved. _Relieved_. She knew she had a right to be angry. But the thing was, she didn't really know what she was angry about.

She felt threatened, threatened that this was Henry's mother. But she hadn't been a threat, she had never seemed threatening. And there was the lying… Regina was glad Emma didn't know how happy she had been to discover a woman at the heart of the only man she had ever been close to willing to give herself to.

Emma got into the Mercedes, leaning back against the seat. She was soaked through now, too. All the windows were covered with condensation from the steam rising from both women. Regina was still shivering. Emma wiped the windscreen and drove back into Storybrooke as fast as was safe. She went directly to Regina's house.

"Where's Henry?" she asked.

"Staying with a friend," Regina said. She was so, so cold, down to her bones. Emma pulled into the garage and Regina unlocked the door to take them into the laundry room. Back on home turf, inside her warm, safe house, she felt her confidence return.

"We should get your clothes in the dryer," she said. She handed Emma a towel from a pile of clean laundry and turned her back, suggesting that Emma should strip. Emma peeled off her soaked clothes and wrapped herself in the towel. Regina stood still, too cold to move, her fingers refusing to work on the zipper of her dress. Emma stepped in behind her.

"Do you want me to get this for you?" she asked.

Regina sighed. Practicality prevailed, and she allowed Emma to remove her dress. Emma found another towel and wrapped it around Regina's shoulders. Regina pulled it down to cover herself properly, though she was still in her soaking underwear.

"Is your fireplace for real?" Emma asked. Regina almost laughed, leading the way to the living room.

"Of course," she said. "Do you know how to light it?"

Emma shook her head. Regina actually smiled.

"I thought not. Come on. Let's get you some clothes. Then I'll show you."

Emma followed Regina upstairs, through her bedroom and into her walk-in closet.

"Why… Why did you come after me?" Emma asked. Regina looked at her, hard.

"I am a liar too," she said simply. "But I do not think I am a bad person. And… With you, I felt… Was…" she bit her lip. "Was it real? The rest of it?"

Emma grabbed Regina's hands and stared right into her scared brown eyes.

"Yes," she said firmly. "It was the realest thing I've ever felt."

Regina let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. She found some fleece lined leggings, a thermal shirt, a thick sweater, and fuzzy socks. Emma grinned at the socks. She had not pegged Regina for a fuzzy sock owner.

"Help yourself," Regina told her, picking up some decidedly more boring underwear than what she was currently wearing. She went into the bathroom to dry herself and get changed properly.

Emma looked around the closet, wondering whether it would be worse to go commando in Regina's clothes or borrow some of Regina's underwear. She opted for borrowing some, choosing the least sexy pair of panties she could find - which was difficult, since Regina seemed to wear almost exclusively lace, with just a couple of simple cotton pairs right at the back of the drawer.

Emma found a pair of sweats with a college insignia that looked as if they had never been worn, a black tank top (she had to stick with going braless, because apart from anything else, Regina was very well endowed, and she was… not so much), and a black turtleneck. She helped herself to some fuzzy socks, too. Regina had a whole drawer dedicated to them. She attacked herself with the towel and dressed quickly, meeting Regina in the bedroom. Regina took in the sight of Emma wearing her clothes. Despite the mismatched outfit, Regina loved it. Emma held the towel awkwardly. Regina took it from her and threw it into the bathroom. For once, she would leave it until later to deal with.

Regina was much warmer now she was in dry clothes.

"Think you can handle making cocoa?" she asked Emma. Emma nodded. After the cooking earlier, she knew her way around the kitchen fairly well. She put some milk in a pot on the stove to heat it, and found the chocolate powder, sugar, and cinnamon.

Regina built up a fire and lit it with a match, missing her magic, but smiling at the growing flames. She felt like she was dreaming. She wasn't entirely sure whether to call the last few hours a fantasy or nightmare. Em was a woman, a woman with breasts, a woman with… A woman with nothing that terrified her, nothing that made her feel like the victim she had been at eighteen. A woman who could make her feel safe, a woman who had spent a week getting to know her, _her_, not just their son. Because he was their son.

Regina wriggled her toes in her fuzzy socks, staying as close to the fire as she could without actually climbing inside it. She heard movement behind her and turned to see Emma, hair still wet and straggly, eyes large and puppy like, bearing two cups of steaming cocoa. Regina accepted the one she was offered and cradled it in her hands appreciatively, feeling the ceramic warm her fingers.

"So," Regina said, deciding to ask her questions before she lost her nerve, "you dress as a man for work?"

Emma shook a hand through her short hair.

"Only that one time. I'm a bail bonds-person… I catch bad guys. Quite often I catch them by getting them to go on a date with me. But this job, it was a bad girl, really into men, and I needed the money so I went for it… I'd just gotten back when Henry arrived, and you know how kids are, they see what's in front of them, so before I knew it I was saying I was his uncle." Emma paused. "I guess…" she continued slowly, "I guess I was scared, too. I never expected to see him, and to see him unhappy."

Regina frowned, knowing she was the named cause of her dear son's unhappiness. Emma touched her shoulder.

"Hey. You haven't done anything wrong. All kids go through this stuff."

Regina bit her lip. Em-Emma was so blissfully ignorant in this area. She wondered if she should tell, but she couldn't bring herself to break the relative calm that was now between them. Emma had done wrong, she was forgiving her, but… Regina was not at all certain that forgiveness would work both ways. Emma's sin was miniscule compared to the crimes Regina had committed.

And Regina wasn't just hiding her gender (which was entirely a social construct anyway - Regina had taken a liking to the feminist journals of this world). Regina was hiding her past, her whole self…

"Why did you give him up?" Regina asked. She knew that Henry had been born in prison, but she was curious about whether Emma would tell her. And anyway, it didn't answer everything. Emma had only had a month or so left to serve when she had her son. He could have gone into foster care for those few weeks, then she could have taken him. He wouldn't even have remembered.

"I… I knew he'd be adopted. And I just thought I was the furthest possible thing from a good mother-"

"Nonsense," Regina huffed. "You are wonderful with him."

Emma was surprised at the compliment.

"Yeah, but for a week, and he can go to the bathroom by himself now!"

Regina chuckled, remembering potty training.

"He has always been intelligent, he learns very quickly… All that… It's not as bad as you imagine."

"I think you have a lot more patience than I do!"

Regina laughed again. "Oh, my dear… What little you know."

They snuggled closer to the fire, which also meant they were closer together, and sipped their cocoa. When the drinks were finished, Regina collected the cups, then fetched the throw from the back of the couch to wrap around them both. When she placed it on Emma's shoulders she couldn't help letting her hands linger there, thinking of the massage Emma had given her earlier.

"May I…" she began, uncertain, as she sat behind Emma. "May I return the favour?"

Emma felt strong hands already putting gentle pressure on her tired shoulders.

"You really don't have to," she said.

Regina leaned in to whisper in Emma's ear, a movement which made the other woman gasp.

"I want to."

Emma shuddered with anticipation at the seduction in Regina's tone.

"Okay," she said.

Regina moved the blanket, putting it around Emma's front instead of her back. It was large enough to cover her a little, too, so they were almost cocooned in it. Regina played with the hem of Emma's sweater - well, her sweater, on Emma.

"Are you warm enough to take this off?" she asked.

Emma took off everything on her top half at lightning speed, covering herself with the blanket. Regina stared at Emma's back, toned, beautiful, her shoulders, her spine… She worked on the skin and muscles as she had felt Emma do earlier. She had never given a massage before but she tried to trust her instincts, and if Emma's little moans of pleasure were anything to go by, her instincts were excellent.

Was it wrong not to be addressing the lying any more? Letting everything go back to the way it had been, letting Emma "get away" with everything she had done? Regina didn't know. She just knew that sitting by the fire, touching Emma, so close to her, made her happier than she could remember being.

Emma was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Why was Regina acting like nothing had happened. Why had she come to get her? Why wasn't she still mad? She turned around suddenly, surprising the brunette, facing her with a determined expression. She tugged at the blanket to cover herself better, but she had a feeling Regina might have gotten an eyeful.

"Why aren't you still mad?" Emma demanded.

Regina tried very hard to put the fleeting image of Emma's plump, round breasts out of her mind.

"I am," she admitted. "In a way, but I have secrets too, secrets I am _not _ready to tell. It would be rather hypocritical of me to hold one lie against you when my whole life could be considered a lie."

This was not the answer Emma had been expecting. Regina was too perfect to be a liar. Sure, she was reserved, she didn't like to spill her guts, and Emma knew very little about her past, but… Emma couldn't believe that the woman herself, right here, was a lie.

"Is this a lie?" Emma asked nervously, gesturing between the two of them.

"No," Regina said. She decided to tell Emma another small truth. "When I… When I saw that you… That you were a woman, I was relieved. I… I have never enjoyed being intimate with a man. Since I was eighteen, I have never felt safe."

Emma took Regina's hand. "Did something happen? Did… I mean, you don't have to tell me," she said hurriedly. "But you can, if you want."

"I have never talked about it," Regina said slowly. "I have never admitted…"

Emma squeezed the hand tighter.

"You don't have to," she said, seeing the agony in Regina's eyes. "I'm sorry I asked, you don't have to-"

"Yes, I do," Regina said, but she did not continue. If she told Emma about her marriage, about what Leopold had done to her, Emma would never respect her again. She would see her as a victim, as weak… And Emma would be afraid, afraid to satisfy the screaming desire that Regina was now filled with.

But if she finds out later, if she does something because she doesn't know and then finds out… Regina would not have Emma feeling guilty. It was not her fault. Regina was not ready to reveal her true identity, but in a way telling Emma this would be giving away more of her real self than she had ever done. In a way, living as The Evil Queen had been a lie, too.

"I was married very young. It was arranged by my mother. The man I married was three times my age, large, controlling, and cruel. I was his second wife. He was angry at losing his first. I think he blamed me, somehow. I never wanted to marry him, but I was young and foolish and heartbroken, and did what was ordered. He… He was a very physical man. And he…" she trailed off, desperately trying to control the sobs which shook in her throat.

Emma grabbed hold of the shaking woman, holding her tight, trying to promise safety and comfort with her strong arms.

"I hardly knew what was happening," Regina cried into her shoulder. "I was so naive, my mother had not seen fit to teach me… I did not know why it _hurt_, and I could not for the life of me understand why my husband, a man who had promised to love me, took such pleasure in hurting me, night after night…"

"Where is he now?" Emma asked, the rage in her voice obvious. At this Regina pulled away and managed to smile, a cruel, wicked smile that masked the pain still surging through her.

"Long dead," she said. Emma saw the malice in Regina's eyes and wondered if the brunette had had anything to do with her husband's death. If she had, Emma decided, more power to her. The rapist deserved it.

Regina managed to collect herself. She was still shaking, but she slowly hid her emotions away again. She moved to wipe the tears from her cheeks but Emma beat her to it, using her thumbs to brush them away.

Emma's hands lingered on Regina's face, cradling her features. Regina allowed herself to relax into Emma's palm, allowed herself to be caressed. Far too soon, though, Emma took her hands away and turned around, quickly pulling on her shirt and sweater again. Regina watched the flames dance in the fireplace.

"Do not pity me, Miss Swan," she said firmly. She felt Emma put an arm around her, enclosing them in the blanket.

"Emma, please. And I don't pity you. I think what happened to you was awful and wrong… I'm in awe of your strength, your courage… You are an amazing woman, Regina, and an amazing mother. I have so much respect for you."

"Thank you… Emma." Regina breathed Emma's name in a way that made her breath catch in her throat.

Emma leaned forward and kissed Regina on the cheek. Regina was too stunned to respond.

"I should go back to Granny's," Emma said. "We both need to get some rest."

"I…" Regina struggled for words. "Would you stay?"

"Here?" Emma did nothing to hide her surprise. The kiss in the rain had been one of desperation, of confusion, of a carnal need that neither woman had been able to overcome. But Emma knew they were far from done with their troubles. There was a lot to get used to. And they had known each other for less than a week.

"I have a large guest room that would benefit from use. Or… We would be warmer if- No, sorry, that is ridiculous."

Emma smiled and shook her head. "It's not ridiculous. I think I know what you mean. You want me to sleep with you. Just sleep. Like a slumber party," she added, making Regina chuckle.

"You do not have enough hair for me to braid," she teased. Emma stuck her tongue out.

"I like it like this. Are you still cold?"

Regina stood up and put the fire guard in front of the fire so they could leave it to burn out unattended. Emma stood with her. Regina shivered as she left the close proximity of the fire.

They walked upstairs, their fingertips drifting together almost as if they would start holding hands, but they never got quite close enough. Regina went to brush her teeth and saw the discarded wet clothes and towels in the bathtub, but had no energy to do anything about them. Emma stood watching her brush her teeth. When she had finished, Emma, almost automatically, used one of the oldest tricks in the book and took Regina's toothbrush right back out of the holder, rinsed it, and used it on her own teeth.

Regina stared, gaping at the rude familiarity, but she had to admit it didn't actually bother her in the slightest. She sat on the edge of the tub, waiting for Emma to leave. Emma leaned against the wall, watching Regina watch her as she brushed.

She spat into the sink, rinsed her mouth, then licked her lips. Regina rolled her eyes.

"May I have a moment in here alone?" she asked.

"That's a euphemism for taking a dump I've never heard before," Emma said, laughing as she left the bathroom. Regina blushed, locked the door, and told herself firmly that everybody used the bathroom, it was not strange or embarrassing, and Emma was just being a pain.

Emma went downstairs to use the smaller washroom. When she came back up Regina was wearing silver silk pyjamas. Their style made Emma think of Lara's bungee-rope dancing in the Tomb Raider movie. Emma smiled to herself when she saw that Regina had laid out a similar pyjama set on the bed. This set was dark red. Emma touched the material, so smooth it ran through her hands like liquid.

Always confident, she stripped down to her - well, Regina's - panties and slid into the pyjamas, humming happily as she felt the material on her skin.

"These might just be the nicest thing I have ever worn," Emma told Regina. They were sitting side by side on the end of the bed.

Emma shuffled back to get under the covers. The heat was on and the room wasn't cold, but she knew Regina should be wrapped up more warmly. They tucked themselves into the bed, propping up against the pillows and headboard.

And then they looked at each other. Just looked, examining every feature, every mark, every movement. Without thinking, Emma reached out to run her finger along the deep scar on Regina's lip. Regina carefully took Emma's wrist and moved her hand away, but only just… She didn't give the hand back to Emma. Instead, she took it in her own and pulled Emma closer, her other hand sliding around Emma's silk covered waist. Suddenly braver, Regina pressed her lips softly to Emma's, being more gentle than she had ever known herself to be.

Their mouths moved together, slowly at first, exploring, testing, discovering. They moved deeper into the bed, keeping the warm covers around them as Regina moved to be fully on top of Emma, keeping low, their silk covered breasts meeting with their slow, rocking movements. Regina had a leg either side of Emma. The sensual quality of the silk left them _very _close, but able to move without friction. Emma's hands crept under Regina's top, ever so slowly. It was tantalising, an incredible feeling for Regina… She had never been touched like this before, she had never been treated with _care_. It had always been rough, and always at her direction after the death of her husband.

The intensity of their kisses built almost to the point of no return, lips, teeth and tongues melting into each other as Emma tangled her fingers in Regina's hair and Regina flexed her hips so her body pressed even closer to Emma's, sending a wave of excitement through both women. It was then that Regina knew she had to stop. She sat up, breathless. Emma sighed at the loss of contact, her arousal made obvious by the hard peaks of her nipples showing through the silk. Regina couldn't help but brush her fingers across them, making Emma gasp and arch her back, then moan unhappily as Regina rolled off her and snuggled into her side.

Emma kissed her again, only for a few seconds, but in a way that made everything they were missing very clear. It was Regina's turn to sigh, but she kept to her decision.

"I'm never going to sleep now," Emma complained.

"Of course you will," Regina said, closing her eyes and letting herself be wrapped up in Emma, cradled like a little spoon. Regina reached to turn off her bedside lamp. The darkness was surprising somehow. Emma held Regina tighter. She knew why the older woman was waiting. It made sense… There was just an area below her abdomen that strongly disagreed with her brain.

Emma closed her eyes, lightly kissing Regina's neck as she held her, stroking Regina's hair.

"I have never fallen asleep in someone's arms before," Regina whispered. Emma held her tighter, knowing the vulnerability Regina was showing was incredibly rare, and incredibly brave of her.

Slowly, soothed by the contact, Regina drifted off to sleep. Her gentle breathing lulled Emma to sleep with her, and their unconscious bodies relaxed and curled up together even more.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading and for all the adorableness you guys send me! It's amazing. I hope you like where I'm going with this... And M is coming soon, I promise. Please review and tell your friends if you like the story! x


End file.
